


A Matched Set

by queenhoneebee



Series: hogwarts in the 70s [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26503153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenhoneebee/pseuds/queenhoneebee
Summary: In which an instructive lesson performing Patronus charms takes place
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Series: hogwarts in the 70s [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926835
Kudos: 30





	A Matched Set

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Tumblr user: there-is-a-bluebird

**A Matched Set**

Sixth Year, Third person

The Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom buzzed with energy as the students practiced their new spell. There was a lot of hype around the spell as it was considered one of the most difficult for wizards to master.

Let alone those at the mere age of sixteen.

_The Patronus Charm._

It was a charm that even some of the best wizards couldn’t master, and yet here they were, learning the basics in hopes that one day, they might be able to conjure a fully formed corporeal animal.

The charm was usually taught to seventh years, but with the dark activity happening around the wizarding world for the last few months, Dumbledore had thought it harmless practice to begin teaching some spells a little earlier.

No one was complaining, because it meant that they got to challenge themselves with more famous spells.

There was a cloud of silver-white mist shrouding the floor, having been spurting from various wands over the course of the last half-hour. It had made the classroom look like some kind of wasteland, or like a faraway planet from _Star Wars_. Or maybe like the crowded dancefloor of any random nightclub that spewed fog.

It was mystical. The room also felt busy and chaotic, like you couldn’t take two steps without bumping shoulders with another student.

In the corner sat Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter, laughing to themselves as they disregarded practicing the spell. They had mastered the spell a long time ago, and easily. They knew what form happiness took for them. They had seen their souls through and through and they had shared many a good time wandering the Forbidden Forest in the depths of the night.

None of them could forget the night that James swore he could keep up with a herd of unicorns. Then they had all watched with laughter shook shoulders as James seemed to trip over his own antlers and go crashing into a tree.

Lily stood with Severus on the opposite end of the room, trying desperately to come up with a happy enough memory to conjure their Patronus.

“Expecto Patronum,” Lily said desperately, moving her wand delicately as her face screwed up in concentration. Severus didn’t even attempt the spell, instead content to sit and watch his friend try to master it. After all, he didn’t think himself to have a memory happy enough worthy of conjuring the charm properly.

He wasn’t sure he ever would.

After another ten minutes, their professor stood up in front of the class and asked everyone to take their seats.

“I can see you’ve all been working very hard this lesson to conjure a Patronus, so why don’t we test your efforts?” she said. “Now, remember. You learnt this spell not even an hour ago, so do not be discouraged if you cannot complete the spell, just go back to your dorms and continue to practice and your efforts will one day be rewarded. And go out and find some happy memories, as that might help you.”

A mumble rolled through the students as they waited for the professor to continue.

“Right, so who can we ask to be our first volunteer?” she asked.

Lily looked around the room, waiting for someone to shoot their hand up. There was a beat of silence before…

“I will.”

Every head in the class turned as Sirius Black moved from his seat with a smirk on his lips. Lily rolled her eyes at the boy. Of course he would go first. She should have expected nothing less of their rowdy group of friends.

Sirius sauntered to the front of the classroom and stood cockily before his fellow classmates. He held his wand high, the little runes carved into the hilt seemed to bounce in the low light of the room.

Then he smiled. “Expecto Patronum,” he said simply, and then the class gasped as something seemed to burst from the tip of his wand. A ball of light that grew and finally formed the shape of a dog. It had its tongue lolling out of the side of its mouth and everything.

Sirius laughed as the class watched his Patronus bound through the room and under student desks, much to the delight of many in the room. The professor clapped her hands together with a smile.

“Well done, Mr Black,” she congratulated. “A quite dignified form if I may say so, barely any imperfections. You may take a seat and may we have our next volunteer.”

Sirius’ mouth dropped at the professor saying his Patronus was less than perfect, which James seemed to throw his head back in laughter.

Lily watched as a few others began to try their hand. Natalie managed to conjure a dove for a brief moment before it disappeared. Lavinia brought out nothing but more mist, to which she sighed dejectedly at. Sebastian formed half of what seemed to be a Griffin – very impressive. Remus had conjured a wolf that howled into the air.

“Next?” the professor called. No one seemed to raise their hand, so Lily took a deep breath and got out of her seat. She could do this.

She made her way to the front of the room and looked out at the expectant faces of her classmates. Severus gave her a supportive smile from his seat, whereas James and his crew seemed to sit back and cross their arms, seemingly waiting for her to impress them.

She rolled her eyes at the thought.

Then she concentrated. _Happy memory, happy memory_ , she chanted to herself. She remembered her first day at Hogwarts; it had been nerve racking, sure, but she had finally felt like she belonged there.

No, that wouldn’t work. Petunia had ruined that day with her whining that Lily was a freak.

What about the day she met Severus? Surely finding a best friend in this backwards world of wizards was something she could find happiness in? No, but Petunia had ruined that day, too, by claiming Severus was also a freak.

Petunia really could be a downer sometimes.

Lily frowned, seeming to remember that she was still standing in front of the class, and they were all waiting expectantly.

She sighed. But then her mind wandered to a day about three years ago. It was the summer and she was home with her family. They had taken a day trip to London and her parents had left her and her sister to do some shopping by themselves.

She and Petunia had walked into an old charity shop and dressed themselves up in second hand clothes, pretending they were little old ladies going out for tea. It had been one of the first times that Lily had felt she’d got her big sister back since they’d found out she had magic blood.

It was innocent, and yet it let something bloom in Lily’s chest.

She could feel her face screw up with concentration before the spell seemed to leave her lips on its own accord. Then her eyes widened as from the tip of her wand, a beautiful shining doe seemed to blossom out of nowhere.

Her eyes widened as she watched it dance in front of her, and then she couldn’t help it. She looked around the room and caught James’ eye. His jaw was dropped onto the floor and his cheeks were flushed red.

His friends were all grinning madly around him, elbowing him to try and get his attention but he paid them no mind. His eyes were locked with hers and neither of them could seemingly look away.

Lily’s doe seemed to fade into nothing as she lost her concentration, and then she finally allowed herself to breath. Her professor congratulated her and she walked back to her seat, both proud and shocked over her achievement, and confused over the look on James’ face.

“Alright, and who’s next?” the professor asked. “Mr Potter? You have seemed awfully boastful back there, why don’t you give it a try?”

Lily refused to turn in her seat to look at the boy. After a moment of silence, she expected him to simply brush past her on his way to the front, but it was quite the opposite.

“Actually Professor…,” he mumbled. “Would you mind if I tried a little later, after class? You know, uh… stage fright and all.”

Lily frowned and turned around to look at the boy. He was shaking and looked kind of nervous. And then his hard hazel eyes flitted to meet hers and she frowned, biting her lip.

That confused Lily. She felt a rose of suspicion bloom in her chest. What could James-Perfect-Potter have to hide? He was always bending the rules and acting like a cocky asshole, and she was shocked he even knew what stage-fright was, especially with the way that he was always showboating around the castle.

The professor nodded and let it go, inviting other students up to the front, but Lily couldn’t take her mind off it. When the class finally ended, she and Severus grabbed their things and made their way out. She refused to meet James’ eye as they walked away. When they were a few corridors away, she feigned a gasp.

“Oh, wait, I’ve left my… uh… I’ve left my quill behind,” she said. Severus frowned, moving to walk back with her.

“Oh, I’ll come with you,” he said. Lily shook her head, placing a hand on his arm.

“No, uh… that’s okay. I’ll just run back and get it. You go on to potions, we wouldn’t want _both_ of us to be late to Slughorn’s class.”

Severus frowned but nodded. Then Lily turned tail and ran back to the DADA classroom. The door was slightly ajar, allowing her to peek inside. Her eyes landed on James who stood before the professor.

Suddenly, he spoke the spell gracefully and a _huge_ wonderful, dignified silver stag burst from the tip of his wand and elegantly cantered around the room, emitting a soft glow.

Lily’s jaw dropped to the floor at the sight of it as she realised that their Patronus’ were a matched pair.

She heard their professor give him full marks and praise before she stepped back with her heart in her mouth. Suddenly, his behaviour made sense. He had to have known that they were a pair, and when he saw hers, had chosen not to cast his in front of everyone as he knew it would humiliate her.

He knew they were a pair, but he _didn’t want to push that fact onto her in front of the entire class_ _because he didn’t want to embarrass her._

Lily didn’t know what to do or think or even say.

She ran a hand through her hair and moved away from the classroom door, suddenly walking a brisk pace down the hall and towards Potions.

This was all too much information to handle, and now she was seeing James in a new light. He was considerate – at least a little – instead of the cocky funny boy that she had come to know. Her heart hammered in her chest as she descended the stairs down to the dungeons.

She didn’t know how she was going to look James in the eye the next time she saw him. This information was just all too much.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find this one shot on my Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/QueenHoneeBee  
> or at: https://www.wattpad.com/story/205167351-marauders-one-shots


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